Car-coupling



( No Model.) 2 SheetSSheeE 1.

J. B. DRAPER.

. GAR COUPLING. No. 287,110. v PafinentedOoc. 23, 1883.

INVENTOR.

WITNESSES: Y fifi w1 gm J ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J.B.DRAPER. OAR COUPLING.

No. 287,110. 4 Patented Oct. 23, 1883.

Fig. 2'

V a a VENTOR. I guassm/ I I %fi W 7 7/ m TTORNEYS.

JOHN BURTON DRAPER, OF ZANESVILLE, ILLINOIS,

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 287,110, dated October 23, 1883.

Application filed August 21, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, J OHN B. DRAPER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident ofZanesville, in the county of Montgomery and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare that the following 'is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the ends of two cars provided with my improved carcoupling. Fig. 2 is a side view of one of the couplings. Fig. 3 is a front view of the same.

. Fig. 4is a bottom view. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view, and Figs. 6 and 7 are do tail views.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures. My invention has relation to automatic carcouplings; and it consists in the improved construction and combination of parts of the same, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, the letters A A indicate the platforms of the cars, to the under side of which are secured two parallel bars, 13, between which the draw-bar 0 slides, a flat bar, D, passing through a horizon- .tal longitudinal slot, E, in the draw-bar, and

through'two horizontal longitudinal slots, F, in the parallel bars, preventing the draw-bar from being drawn too far out or being pushed too far in. The rear end, G, of the draw-bar is reduced, sliding in a longitudinal recess, II, in a block, I, pivoted at its middle between the rear ends of the parallel bars, and aspiral spring, J, is wrapped or coiled around the reduced end and fastened to the same, cushioning the draw-bar, which is allowed a certain amount of vertical play by the reduced end of the'same sliding in the recessed block, which may swing upon its pivotal bolt in a vertical plane.

' The draw-head K is shaped in the usual form in pin-andrlink couplings, with the exception that the recess is somewhat larger than usual, and that it has a transverse perforation, L, passing through its sides into the recess, in addition to the perforation through which the pin passes. A round rod, M, passes through through its entire thickness, the feather holding the ends together. The'central portion of this rod passes through-a perforation, P, in the upper end of a cam or block, Q,.which perforation has a groove, R, in its lower side, in which the feather fits, and the upper end of the block has a recess, S, which extends to the inner side of the perforation corresponding to the recess 0 in the rod. The lower end of the cam or block has a projecting lug, T, which fits into grooves U in the rear and lower sides of the recess of the draw-head, which lug and grooves serve to guide the block, which swings in a vertical plane upon the transverse rod.

The coupling-pin V is of the usual construction, and slides in the vertical perforations WV in the top and bottom of the draw-head, and a cord or chain, X, is fastened to the upper end of the pin, the other end of which chain is fastened to the upper end of a grooved segmental lever, Y, which is fastened upon the middle of a transverse rod, Z, which turns in bearings a in the upper end of two uprights, Z fastened upon the end of the carplatform by means of. screw-bolts c, passing up through longitudinal slots (1 in inwardlybent flanges 0 upon the lower ends of the uprights, by means of which screw-bolts the uprights may be adjusted so as to'bring the segmental end of the lever over the end of the pin, causing it to draw the pin up perfectly true. A crank or handle, f, is fastened upon the outer ends of the transverse rod or shaft, by means of which the lever may be raised, raising the pin, and-a block, g, is fastened upon the shaft, inside the bearing, forming two steps, h and z, facing in opposite directions, the rearmost, h, of which steps bears against a bolt, j, which projects laterally from one of which is fastened to a weighted lever, 0, fastlug or projection in its lower end, and a transened upon the end of the rod passing trans versely through the draw-head, and serving, with a similar weighted lever, 12, fastened upon the other end of the rod, to keep the cam or block in the draw head in a vertical position, with the recess under the end of the raisedv pin when the coupling-link q is withdrawn, and to release the pawl at the same time.

By the foregoing description, taken in con nection with the accompanying drawings, the operation of my car-coupling will easily be understood. \Vhen the cars are to be uncoupled, one of the cranks or handles is raised, drawing the coupling-pin upward, in which position it is held by the weighted pawl engaging the lower step in the block, and, when the cars are separated, withdrawing the link from the draw-head. The weighted arms upon the transverse rod will occupy their vertical position, releasing the pawl and bri'ngingthe recess of the cam in the draw-head under the end of the pin, supporting the same. I'Vlien, now, the cars are again brought together for the purpose of couplin g them again, the link entering the draw-head will push the lower end of the cam rearward, allowing the pin to drop, coupling the cars.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 4 and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. The combination of adraw-head having a horizontal longitudinal slot in its inner portion, having its rear end reduced, and having a spiral spring wound around the said end and fastened to the shoulders formed by it, a pair of parallel bars fastened to the under side of the car, and having horizontal longitudinal slots in their forward portions, a flat bar passing through the slots in the parallel bars and through the slot in the draw-head, and a block pivoted to swing in a vertical plane at its middle, having alongitudinal recess in its forward end for the reception of the reduced end of the draw-head, and having the rear end of the spiral spring fastened to its forward end, as

and for the purpose shown and set forth.

2. The combination of a draw-head having the usual recess, the bottom and rear side of which are grooved longitudinally, and having a vertical perforation in its top and bottom and ahorizontal perforation in its sides, a cam or block having a recess in its upper edge, a lug or projection at its lower end, and pivoted upon a rod passing through it and through the horizontal perforations in the sides of the draw-head, swinging in a vertical plane in the recess in the same, and a coupling-pin passing through the vertical perforations in the top and bottom of the draw-head, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

3. The combination of a draw-head having the usual recess, the bottom and rear side of which are grooved longitudinally, and having a vertical perforation in its top and bottom and a horizontal perforation in its sides, a cam or block having a recess in its upper edge, a

and a coupling-pin passing through the vertical perforations inthevtop and bottom of the draw-head, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

4. The combination of a transverse shaft journaled in horizontal bearings upon the end of a car, a segmental lever having its segmental end grooved and fastened upon the said shaft at its inner end, a cam or block having a step or ratchet-tooth and fastened upon the transverse shaft, a weighted pawl pivoted below the transverse shaft and engaging the step upon the cam, a draw-head having the usual recess and vertical and horizontal perforations through its top and bottom and through the sides respectively, a fiat cam having a recess in its upper end and swinging in a vertical plane in the recess in the draw-head, upon a transverse rod passing through the horizontal perforations in the draw-head, and having weighted arms upon its ends,a chain fastened to one of the weighted arms and to the end of the weighted pawl, a coupling-pin having a chain fastened to its upper end and to the upper end of the segmental lever, and a couplinglink of the usual construction, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

5. The combination of a pair of uprights.

fastened adjustably upon the front end of a car, and having an inwardly-projecting bolt upon the inner side of one of the bearings formed at their upper ends, a transverse shaft journaled in the said bearings, and having a handle or crank at its outer end, a segmental lever fastened upon the shaft, a cam or block having two steps or ratchetteeth pointing in opposite directions and fastened upon the shaft, aweighted pawl pivoted below the shaft and engaging the one step upon the cam, a draw-head having perforations through its top and bottom, and through its sides, a flat cam having a recess in its upper end and swinging in a vertical plane in the draw-head, upon a transverse rod passing through the horizontal perforations in the draw-head, and having weighted arms upon its ends, a chain fastened to one of the weighted arms, and to the end of the weighted pawl, a coupling-pin having a chain fastened to its upper end and to the upper end of the segmental lever, and a'coupling-link, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as I my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN BURTON DRAPER. Vitnesses:

JOHN FULLERTON, GEORGE H. EMERT.

IIO 

